LEEDS RHINOS 14 ST HELENS 16
STEPHEN IBBETSON, AMT Headingley, Saturday

ST HELENS recreated the famous ‘Wide to West’ try 25 years on as Shane Wright scored a scarcely believable winner after the hooter.

Chris Joynt’s play-off winner for Saints against Bradford in 2000, created by Dwayne West after keeping the ball alive with the final play of the game, is one of the sport’s most famous tries.

And the club somehow did it again to steal a place in this year’s semi-finals from Leeds, who led for the vast majority of this tie and fully deserved to progress.

But after Jon Bennison’s try and conversion made it 14-12 late on, St Helens – woeful with the ball for most of the night – were awarded a penalty on the hooter for one final attempt at glory.

After kicking for the left touchline, the ball was switched right, left then right again to Harry Robertson, who did an incredible job to step a number of players, draw even more defenders scrambling across, and then release the ball to Tristan Sailor.

Sailor flicked it a long way back to Whitley and Saints successfully distributed it back to the left flank through Jonny Lomax, James Bell, Jack Welsby and then Wright, who in just his second appearance for the club became the unlikely hero of an even more unlikely finale.

Leeds made the worst possible start to the game as Lachlan Miller put the kick-off out on the full, the first of several early errors. All went unpunished, however, by a Saints outfit reluctant for so long to chance their arm in attack.

Instead it was left to the hosts to provide the early spark, which they did for the first time in the tenth minute with a fluent break. Harry Newman’s kick then earned a full attacking set, from which brilliant passing through the hands culminated in Ash Handley’s putting Chris Hankinson over.

Jake Connor added the conversion from the touchline and the Rhinos’ tails were up, with Miller at the heart. Brodie Croft nearly scored a second try while Hankinson was closed down in the corner as St Helens clung on.

Then came a response out of the blue from the Red Vee. Curtis Sironen claimed a kick ahead of Ryan Hall and offloaded to Morgan Knowles, who couldn’t catch but managed to kick the ball forward instead for Lomax to chase and touch down.

Mark Percival levelled the scores, but only for four minutes. A Keenan Palasia offload was moved on to James McDonnell, who impressively stood up both Knowles and Sailor before holding off Percival to crash over for 12-6 with Connor’s goal.

The final ten minutes of the first half were like the opening spell, with Saints attacking – this time thanks to a succession of penalties – but not threatening.

Key prop Matty Lees’ premature departure, upon news of his partner going into labour, only worsened their predicament going into half-time.

They were further behind momentarily when referee Jack Smith awarded a try to Ash Handley, but a challenge was swiftly made and Morgan Gannon’s obstruction of Lomax identified.

Leeds continued to look by far the most likely team to score, with their superior ball movement keeping the opposition scrambling.

And on the one occasion when St Helens did execute a good play in attack, on the hour mark, Bennison was shut down emphatically in the corner with a shove from Connor.

Three minutes after that, Connor was caught high by Moses Mbye in kicking range and knocked over the penalty for a two-score lead.

That appeared to be that, but Bennison managed to twist through a tackle and dot the ball down on the line with five minutes to go, coolly adding the goal too – and setting up one of the all-time great finishes.

GAMESTAR: Lachlan Miller was a livewire threat throughout.

GAMEBREAKER: Harry Robertson’s contribution to the winning try.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: The disbelief from every side of Headingley – albeit shown in two very different ways – as St Helens won it.

MATCHFACTS
RHINOS
1 Lachlan Miler
5 Ryan Hall
3 Harry Newman
4 Ash Handley
31 Chris Hankinson
6 Brodie Croft
18 Jake Connor
8 Mikolaj Oledzki
14 Jarrod O’Connor
10 Keenan Palasia
16 Morgan Gannon
12 James McDonnell
28 Kallum Watkins
Subs (all used)
11 James Bentley
15 Sam Lisone
17 Cooper Jenkins
19 Tom Holroyd
18th man (not used)
32 Joe Shorrocks
Also in 21-man squad
20 Jack Sinfield
26 Max Simpson
29 Presley Cassell

Tries: Hankinson (11), McDonnell (27)
Goals: Connor 3/3

SAINTS
6 Tristan Sailor
5 Jon Bennison
26 Harry Robertson
4 Mark Percival
36 Deon Cross
1 Jack Welsby
7 Jonny Lomax
8 Alex Walmsley
9 Daryl Clark
10 Matty Lees
11 Curtis Sironen
16 Matt Whitley
13 Morgan Knowles
Subs (all used)
14 Moses Mbye
15 James Bell
19 George Delaney
37 Shane Wright
18th man (not used)
21 Noah Stephens
Also in 21-man squad
2 Kyle Feldt
12 Joe Batchelor
23 Jake Burns

Tries: Lomax (23), Bennison (75), Wright (80)
Goals: Percival 1/1, Bennison 1/2

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-6, 12-6; 14-6, 14-12, 14-16

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Rhinos: Lachlan Miller; Saints: Alex Walmsley

Penalty count: 6-5
Half-time: 12-6
Referee: Jack Smith
Attendance: 11,108